Locking steering mechanism for motor-vehicles.



l 6.5.GRAHAMI l LOCKING STEERING MECHANISNI FOR MOIOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6.19.17-

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. E. GRAHAM. LOCKING STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. 1917.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

v2 SHEETS-,SHEET 2.

Imra mr. maga E aHa/I.

GEORGE E. GRAHAM, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

application led June 6, 1917. Serial No. 173,099.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missourl, have invented anew and useful LockingSteering Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to loclnng steering mechanism for motor vehicles,and consists in the novel construction, design, arrangement andcombination of parts hereinafter more fully disclosed. l

An object of the invention is to provide a steering mechanism havinincorporated therewith a key-controlledl ocking device whereby thesteering post may be locked against rotation, thereby disabling thesteering mechanism and preventing the vehicle from being' driven.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steering mechanismincludin pa novel form of gear control associated wit mechanism wherebythe Steering post may be.

locked against rotation when desired to disable the steering mechanism.

Another objectpof the invention is to provide an improved steeringmechanism which may be economicall manufactured, readily assembled andwhich will be eiicient in steering operations and which is accommodatedin its structure for association thereivith of the usual spark and.throttle control evers.

many other additlona dvantages and features of construction attainablefrom the i invention in view, I lhave designed, arranged and combinedthe,

hereinafter Idescribe reference being made to the accompanying drawingsin which one embodiment of the invention is. illustrated,

end in which- Y Flgure 1 is a longitudinal section through the steeringmechanism illustrating the as- Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view takensubstantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 ofthe steering gear elements.

Flg. 4 is an elevation of-a part of the keycontrol fork for the steering'post showing the manner in which it is applied to the steermg column,

With -the foregoing objects as well as arts .and elements as f Fig. 5 isanelevation of the same part of the mechanism viewed at right angles tothe illustration in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross section particularly illustrating a part of the ke-control lock mechanism taken substantia 1y on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a cross section taken' substan tially on theline 7 -7 of Fig.1 further illustrating the details of the locking mechanism inconnection with other associated parts.

Fig.y 8 is a cross sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1 illustratingfurther details of the construction. i

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the bushing constituting an element of thevconstruction.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the sleeve constitutin a part of the lockingmechanism remov from the assembly.

In the embodimentv of the invention illustrated in the drawings,thesteering mecharammen nec. ai, isis. l

nism includes a steering columnl at the top of which is a steering wheelspider 2 to vwhich is attached the usual steering wheel 3.

Within the circumference' of the steering wheel 3 is provided the usualspark conltrol and throttle control lever quadrant 4 associated with thes `ark control lever 5 andthe throttle contro lever 6. The spark'control shaft 7 is connected with the spark vthe spark control shaft andthe throttle control shaft are housed within a tubular shaft 9 whichextends from end to end of the mechanisxn in the usual manner.

At the'lower end lof the mechanism and supported by a.bracket 10 are theIspark control shafts and arms, 11 and 12,respectively, and thevthrottle control shaft and arms 13 and 14, respectively. The usualybevel gear constructionlv connects the shafts 7 and 11 of the sparkcontrolling mechanism and the usual bevel gear construction 16 connectsthe shafts 8 and 13 of the throttle controlling mechanism.

The steering. ost .17- is tt'ed over the tubular shaft 9 that incasesboth the shafts 7 and 8. f The steering pestis tubular in form and issurmqounted at its upper end bythe spider'2 of the steeringl wheel 3with which it-is rigidly connected. The gear construction fof the"steering mechanism is housed in a case 18 which may be supported of thecase 18 adjacent to the journal porin the vehicle by attaching it bybrackets to any rigid part of the vehicle construction proper. The case18 is a one-piece construc- `tionexcept for a removable cover plate 19,

is provided with a journal section 20 for the lower end of the steeringcolumn. A split clevis construction 21 extends beyond the journalportion 2O and is designed to embrace the end of the tubular shaft 9,whereby the same is rigidly supported at its lower end. rlhe steeringpost is formed with a screw section 22 which is disposed within the gearcase 18, the same fitting through an internally threaded rack block 23.

The upper end of the gear case 18 has a tubular clevised end section 24,the opening of which is internally threaded and is adapted to receive athreaded portion 25 of an adjusting bushing 26. When the clevised endsection 24 is in clamped adjustment it serves to hold the bushing 26from rotation. A pair of end thrust bearings 27 and 28, respectively,embrace the steering post at each end of the screw section 22. rlhethrust bearing 27 bears against the inner lower wall tion 20 and againsta shoulder at thefend of the screw section 22 of the post. The thrustbearing 28 fbears against the inner end of the bushing 26 and against ashoulder at the upper end of the screw section 22. This arrangement ofthe thrust bearings, the

force of which tends in opposite directions, serves to hold the steeringpost against vi-l bration and prevents end lash of the screw section ofthe steering post when the same is operated. v l l rlhe bushing 26 whichis fully illustrated in detail in F ig. 9 is provided with a polygonaltool engaging surface 29 underA which is a notched Hange'30for therecepretaining finger 31 which is removably secured to the tubular endsection 24 of the case 13.

rlhe lower end of the column 1 shoulders against a flange 32 of thebushing 26 and embraces a reduced section 33 thereof to which it isattached by a series of screws 34 passing through openings in the column1 `and into threaded seats disposed about the periphery of the section33 of the bushing 26.

The side walls of the case 18 4are enlarged as indicated at 35 (Fig. 3)to match the side faces of the rack block 23 thereby constituting asliding lit bearing* for the block. Within an enlargement 36 of the case18 is arranged a pinion 37, the teeth of which mesh with a rack 38formed inthe lower face of the rack block 23. rlhe pinion 37 hasintegrally formed therewith a shaft 39 disposed at right angles to theaxis of the steering post, and which shaft is journaled at one end inatubular projection 4Q from the side of the enlargement 36 of the case j18. At the opposite side of the enlargement 36 of the case 18 is athreaded opening 41 which receives an adjusting bushing 42 in which ismounted an adjusting screw 43, the

opening being of suiiicient diameter so that the pinion 38 may beinserted therethrough. The adjusting screw 43 is designed for adjustmentof the Ishaft 39 of the pinion 38 and is designed so that any wear ofthe parts may be compensated for by adjustment and to permit the partsto be readily assembled and disassembled. The end of the shaft 39 has apolygonal portion Y44 to receive the steering arm 45, it beingunderstood that the latter connects by' the usual ball and socketconstruction to rods which are associated with the ysteering knuckle ofthe wheel control. .v

lt will be observed that the upper end of the bushing 26 is providedwitha series of teeth 46.l Embracing the steering post is a sleeve 47which has an enlarged hub 48 provided with a .series of teeth 49 at itsend and with a circular rack 50 at its upper end. rlhe sleeve isfeathered on the steering post, being keyed thereto by keys 51 operatingin key-ways in the usual mannert The' sleeve 47 is adapted to slidelongitudinally of the steering post, so that the series of teeth 46 and49 may be moved into and out of locking position. rThe movement of thesleeve is accomplished by a key-controlled device comprising a tumblersection 52 operated by `in any Suitable manner preferably by brazing orwelding the same in place, so as to prevent the removal thereof. Therevoluble element '54 may be actuated only by the key 53 so that it isonly possible to raise and lower the sleeve 47 by the key 53.

lt is a known function of the tumbler lock construction that after acomplete revolution of the revoluble element of the'lock, it will bepermanently held in position after the removal 'of the key. rllhus, inits adaptation to the present construction, it is possible.

to raise and lower the sleeve 47 so as to bring the series'of teeth 46and 49 into coperative locked position and out oflocked position ybyoperating the lock device by the key.

j When the sleeve is either in locked or un locked position there is nopossibility of moving it from one to the other positlon except by theoperation of the lock device essence ock tamper with the same withoutdisassembling the entire steering mechanism. The dis assembling of thesteering mechanism is diffcult so that it is practically impossible foran unauthorized person, unequipped with a controlling key, to drive themotor vehicle when the lock mechanism is set. When the l' lockingmechanism isunlocked the steering post is free to rotate and as the sameis rtated the rack block will be moved, thereby driving the pinion 37which through its connections with the arm operates the same.

The steering gear proper is of such construction that the vibration fromthe wheels of the vehicle is not imparted to the steering wheel. Inother words, it is of the irreversible steering gear type. Theconstruction of the ioating rack block operated by the -screw portion ofthe steering post provides a powerful actuator for the pinion 37. As theleverage is of high eiciency the steering mechanism may be operated withvery little power `applied to the steering wheel.

I am aware that the construction may be modified in numerous particularswithout in any wise departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. I do. not limit myse f therefore to the exact constructionshown and described, but what I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is t.

1. Steerin mechanism, comprising a case composed o integral side andbottom walls having longitudinal bearing portions upon ing threadedengagement whereby said block will be moved longitudithe inner sides ofthe sidewalls, and a removable cover in connection with the side wallsclosing the case; a rack block within the case having its opposite sidesbearing against the bearing portionsfon the sidey walls of the caseandbeing out of contact i i `with the removable cover; a screw shaftjournaled inthe case and having threaded engagement with said blockwhereby said block will be moved longitudinallyby-the turnilfe. of saidshaft and will be held from turning by the side walls of the case; ashaft journa'led in the case at right angles to the rackv block; apinion on said last-named shaft meshing with the rack of the rack block,and a steerin said last-named sha 2. Steering mechanism,'comprising acase composed of integral side and bottom walls having` longitudinalbearin portions `on the inner sides of the Side wa s, and a removablecover in connection with the side walls closing the case; a rack blockwithin the arm connected ,with

case having its opposite sides bearing against the bearing portlons ofthe case, whereby said block is ided and| held from turning when movedongitudinally in the case; a screw shaft jonrnaled in the case andhavwith said block nally by the turning of said -shaft andiwill be held'from turning by the side walls of the case; revo'luble! devices in.connection with the shaft limiti' ment of said block. nd preventingcontact of the Ablock with t e endsof the case; a shaft journaled in thecase at right angles to the block; a pinion on said last-named shaftmeshing with the rack of the rack block; and a steering arm connectedwith said lastlongitudinal movei

